EDITORIAL: Lawmakers should back Haslam on TennCare

As Gov. Bill Haslam gets closer to making a decision on expanding Tennessee's Medicaid program, TennCare, he is faced with near irrational opposition by a few state lawmakers. With billions of dollars, jobs, hospital solvency and health insurance coverage for as many as 180,000 Tennesseans at stake, Haslam deserves some breathing room from state lawmakers.

Both Republicans and Democrats are holding poison pill bills, either of which, if passed, would doom TennCare expansion. Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, and Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, have a bill which would block TennCare expansion, taking the matter out of Haslam's hands. Democrats, on the other hand, have a bill that would call for an up or down vote on TennCare expansion, virtually ensuring its demise, which they then could blame on Republicans. Haslam opposes both measures, and, frankly, both are little more than irrational political threats.

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey told Haslam last week that he does not believe there is enough support for TennCare expansion in the state Senate to pass the measure. If Haslam decides to expand TennCare, he is running out of time to make his case to lawmakers. The General Assembly already is beginning to wind down in anticipation of an April recess.

TennCare expansion is strongly supported by the Tennessee Hospital Association and state professional medical associations. There are numerous scenarios where hospitals would lose billions in federal subsidies, businesses would be hit with health care related losses, and many individuals would not be able to afford to purchase required health insurance under the new federal law.

While TennCare expansion is Haslam's decision, the federal money that would flow into TennCare must be appropriated in the state budget, and that requires General Assembly approval. If the General Assembly won't approve the funds, TennCare expansion would fail.

Not only are a handful of hard-line lawmakers holding TennCare expansion hostage, there is a move by state Rep. Vance Dennis, R-Savannah, to prohibit Tennessee licensed insurance companies, such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield, from selling insurance on a health insurance exchange in Tennessee. Haslam already has bowed to demands that Tennessee not run its own insurance exchange, despite overwhelming support for it among Republicans, and the preference for a federal program among Democrats.

According to state Attorney General Bob Cooper, Vance's measure is constitutionally suspect. But Vance has vowed to fight on. If the measure passes, it would cost Tennessee insurance companies millions of dollars of business.

Blind opposition to the nation's health care reform law is irrational and self-defeating. Frankly, we don't like the law, either. But we believe Haslam must do what makes sense and is best for all Tennesseans by expanding TennCare.

- The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

EDITORIAL: Lawmakers should back Haslam on TennCare

As Gov. Bill Haslam gets closer to making a decision on expanding Tennessee's Medicaid program, TennCare, he is faced with near irrational opposition by a few state lawmakers.